Attachment J.14 Strategic Plan of the DC Courts 2023-2027.pdf

Webinar – May 24, 2023

Stakeholder Outreach

Open To All, Trusted By All, Justice For All

Outreach Respondents/ Participants

Employee and Senior Manager Forums 183

Judicial Officer Survey 56

Attorney Survey 803

Non-Profit and Agency Survey 28

Court Participant Survey 1,334

Structure of the Strategic Plan

Key Results Identify measurable initiatives for the strategies

Strategies Articulate substantive focus areas for the goals

Goals Define what we want to achieve

Overview of the Goals

Open to All

Access to Justice for All

Trusted by All

Public Trust and Confidence

A Great Place to Work

Effective Court Administration

Justice for All

Fair and Timely Case Resolution

Racial Equity and Cultural Competence

Access to Justice for All Strategies Key Results

A. Provide user-friendly and accessible information to the public.

By 2025, enhance online communication, including the website, text messaging, chat, interactive resources, and podcasts.

B. Enhance services for people who face challenges to accessing justice.

By 2027, establish the Justice Resource Center in a permanent space (pending full funding of building renovation and execution of community partner agreements).

By 2025, increase the availability and awareness of language access services.

C. Improve services to litigants without attorneys.

By 2024, expand the Court Navigator Program in Superior Court and Court of Appeals.

By 2024, explore the use of licensed legal paraprofessionals to provide selected legal assistance for court participants who cannot afford an attorney.

D. Enhance in-person, remote, and hybrid court proceedings and services.

By 2025, assess ways to optimize the use of in-person, remote and hybrid court proceedings and services for enhanced court access and efficient case processing.

E. Simplify processes, forms, and instructions. By 2023, collaborate with the Access to Justice Commission and other stakeholders to assess ways to simplify and enhance self-help resources for court participants.

Public Trust and Confidence

A. Enhance community outreach and engagement. By 2024, partner with schools in the community to conduct programs or events that teach youth about the Courts.

B. Improve the customer service experience. By 2026, develop surveys and other tools to obtain feedback from court participants and regularly assess the customer service experience.

C. Collaborate with city and community partners to advance justice.

By 2023, explore ways to expedite public benefit cases at the Court of Appeals.

By 2025, implement a comprehensive Eviction Diversion Program at Superior Court.

D. Identify and publish performance data to promote transparency and accountability.

By 2026, develop and implement a website dashboard that provides information to the public about the Courts' performance.

A Great Place to Work

A. Promote employee well-being, engagement, and work-life balance.

By 2026, develop a toolkit with resources to support employee physical, social, and emotional health.

B. Foster a culture of racial equity and a work environment that embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

By 2024, use surveys and other tools to obtain employee feedback necessary for the advancement of DEIB goals in the workplace.

C. Provide comprehensive workforce planning for effective onboarding, professional development, job succession, and retention of creative and talented employees.

By 2025, expand the mentoring program for court employees to advance professional development.

D. Improve performance management processes to foster equity and accountability.

By 2025, implement an automated performance management system.

E. Leverage state-of-the-art technology that enables court personnel to perform their work effectively and efficiently.

By 2024, pilot the use of computer tools to automate manual processes.

Effective Court Administration

A. Ensure that court facilities and technology are safe, secure, and up-to-date.

By 2024, implement the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to ensure that critical infrastructure is secure and manages cybersecurity risks.

B. Foster innovation and continuous improvement in the delivery of court services to internal and external customers.

By 2026, implement a new case management system for the Court of Appeals.

Fair and Timely Case Resolution

A. Assess time standards and procedures for the resolution of motions and case disposition.

By 2024, improve the collection and tracking of data for motions processing and time to case disposition.

B. Evaluate court programs and operations and implement enhancements.

By 2024, assess the feasibility of establishing a Mental Health Diversion Program at Superior Court.

C. Enhance efficient case resolution. By 2023, assess the allocation of magistrate judge and judicial resources to improve timely case resolution.

Racial Equity and Cultural Competence

A. Enhance cross-cultural skills to advance racial equity and cultural competence.

By 2025, develop a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Plan.

B. Apply racial equity and implicit bias training to the examination of court rules, policies, procedures, and practices.

By 2026, create and implement a racial impact statement and racial equity toolbox.

By 2024, assess whether to modify or discontinue the use of peremptory strikes as part of the petit jury selection process.

Next Steps for Implementation

Develop Management Action Plans (MAPs) in each division.

Host collaborative sessions with employees in each division.

Monitor and update the MAPs during the five-year strategic planning cycle.

Report progress to senior leaders, court staff, judges, and the public.